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April 3, 2012

[As the people were suffering from Jung Bahadur Rana's tyranny, Martyr Lakhan Thapa Magar taking some ex-army-men
created a rebel force in Gorkha and started a rebellion against the government.
I do not intend to go to any further details on how Jung Bahadur Rana ruled Nepal.
We have huge treasure of historical documents and books on him already. In this
paper, I shall discuss from another angle - the martyrdom of Lakhan Thapa
himself.]

By
B. K. Rana

Martyr
Lakhan Thapa Magar of Gorkha -
though Nepal Government declared him martyr of the country on February 23,
2000 and approved a grant of 0.7 million rupees to raise his bust size
statue and a memorial park in Gorkha Kahule Bhangar some 4:30 – 5.00 hours walk
on foot from Pokharithok Bazar, the Gorkha Proper; a few people question his
martyrdom even today. Scholars are divided on the question and hold
reservations on his martyrdom. A well understood partisan thinking of this type
still prevails in the country and which certainly is not useful for the
growth and development of a perceived democratic society. Many native and alien
writers have written on the martyr. I have also had some chances to write a few
articles on the martyr in the past. In this short paper today, I shall
attempt to discuss the martyr from a native perspective, in other words, from the
standpoint of a native Magar from Gorkha proper. I believe Lakhan Thapa led
‘country’s peace disturbing rebellion’[1] for the first time in history of Nepal has
been grossly devalued and misinterpreted by some historians, for instance, Bal
Chandra Sharma whose books were prescribed for higher degree courses of
education in Nepal until 1990. I have a feeling that there has not come any end
to it yet. Also I still doubt those books are withdrawn from university libraries
in Nepal.

I
shall take reference from Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana, one of the sons of
Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana, who has written the latter’s biography discussing also, in the last chapter, the event that
led Lakhan Thapa Magar to his martyrdom for the first time in the
recorded history of Nepal. This seems to me the only recorded event relating to
Martyr Lakhan Thapa Magar of Gorkha. The author Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana asserts
that his father’s biography that he has written is nothing less authentic than
his own diary, sometimes in his own hand, sometimes to dictation –
meaning that it is as authentic as what his father Jung Bahadur Rana would have
written by himself. Checking with some other Nepalese historians how they have
painted Lakhan Thapa Magar’s picture on the canvas of Nepalese history; I shall
attempt to explore the martyr and his martyrdom from my own observations of the
surrounding areas of the village Kahule Bhangar, in Bungkot Village Development
Committee where the martyr is believed to have been born and which I have also
visited numerous times in my life. In one of the visits to this village some 14
years ago in 2055 Bikram Sambat, I did happen to meet with an elderly man who
told he was one of the great grandsons of Jay Singh Chumi Magar, one of the
associates of the martyr, also hanged to death along with the martyr for
treason.

Birth and Early childhood:

Hailing from the
martyr’s own community of Magar from Gorkha Proper, which I feel privileged of
having come, I have had many opportunities in the past to visit the place where,
Martyr Lakhan Thapa Magar, as I said above, is believed today to have been
born. The elderly people of Kahule Bhangar of Gorkha district, west Nepal
believe the martyr was born there in 1835. But no documented information so far
to ascertain this place and date is available; neither do we have any other
documentation to prove that he was actually born in a village or place other
than this anyway. Few Magar writers have otherwise written that the martyr was
not born in Kahule Bhangar but their proposition for some other places like
Lucknow of India also does not sound to me probable. The birth place of the
martyr must either be Kahule Bhangar as believed by most people or Bungkot
Khabdi Bhanjyang or the surrounding area in the district. The village of Kahule
Bhangar is a small settlement, on the northern slope of Batase Dada inhabited
mostly by the Magars even today; understandably the village must have been
totally a village of the Magars some 140 years ago when the martyr began his
revolt against Jung Bahadur Rana’s tyrannical rule.

Similarly, we do
not have any reference of his educational achievement and career as well,
however, some Nepalese historians write he was a soldier but do not disclose
what position he had held in the army. Some Magar writers, in contrast, claim
he was a captain in the army. Since this becomes an uncorroborated claim,
therefore, few historians have contested it again recently. In the lack
of any evidence, nothing can be said for sure that he had held any position
like captain in the Nepalese army. Rather he has been said to be a social organizer
and promising leader of the people. This sounds a possibility to me in one
sense as "his graceful manners and persuasive tone procured him an armed
following of 1, 500 men, at the head of whom he threatened to march to the
capital, and after assassinating Jung Bahadur, to seize the rein of government,
and inaugurate the golden age of the Nepalese history"[2]. Scanning
this very line with today’s spectacles, in an unacceptable manner, the later
day historians of Nepal have repeatedly blown it up to disqualify the
martyr for his martyrdom. I intend to discuss it in the paragraphs below why
those historians would have needed to blow it up ignoring the fact that the
martyr’s movement for social change had for the first time in history
‘disturbed the peace of the country'.

He was a follower
of Mokshya Mandal, Josmani Saint Sect of religion, a native religious belief
practised by both of the disenchanted followers of Buddhism and Hinduism in the
county. This Mokshya Mandal Josmani Saint sect seems to me to have played a
major role in the Lakhan Thapa Magar led rebellion against Jung Bahadur Rana.
Some writers have portrayed the martyr as peasant's leader also. The martyr
more precisely seems to be a religious leader of his time as well as a leader
who could voice for the cause of the people. His voice for the cause of people had ‘disturbed the peace of
the country for the first time in the history’[3].
A sad part of Nepalese history is that incident of such gravity and intensity
has either received no attention of historians for further research or remained
deliberately ignored until today.

Rebel Disturbs the Peace of the Country:

As the people were
suffering from Jung Bahadur Rana's tyranny, Martyr Lakhan Thapa Magar
taking some ex-army-men created a rebel force in Gorkha and started a rebellion
against the government. I do not intend to go to any further details on how
Jung Bahadur Rana ruled Nepal. We have huge treasure of historical documents
and books on him already. In this paper, I shall discuss from another angle -
the martyrdom of Lakhan Thapa himself.

Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana writes, “Shortly after Jung Bahadur Rana returned
from Godavari to his Thapathali Durbar, a rebellion of a somewhat curious
nature disturbed the peace of the country. A certain Gorkha, formerly a soldier
in the army, set himself up as king, calling himself an incarnation of the
renowned Lakhan Thapa of ancient times. He imposed upon a large number of
ignorant classes, whom he induced to put faith in his imposture and join under
his banner, in order to subvert the government of Jung Bahadur. He pretended
that he was specially commissioned by the goddess Manokamana to overthrow Jung
Bahadur, and put himself in his place”[4]

Here we should take note, from the authors’
lines above, of two names:

i) Lakhan Thapa and,
ii) Goddess Manokamana.

There used to be
two Lakhan Thapa Magars in the history of Nepal. The former Lakhan Thapa Magar was a famous saint
and seems to have very cordial relationship with the King
Ram Shah (1606
-1636) of Gorkha. There is a detailed discussion
between King Ram Shah and Saint Lakhan Thapa Magar in Gorkha Vanshavali,
the only authoritative genealogy of Shah Kings of Nepal. The Gorkha Vanshavali clearly mentions King Ram Shah had a royal edict that the priests of
Manakaman Temple must only be the descendants of Saint Lakhan Thapa Magar, whom
ethno-historians also designate Lakhan Thapa Magar – I. And the martyr,
whom those historians write Lakhan Thapa Magar - II, seems to me very
much closely related by blood to Saint Lakhan Thapa Magar - I. Therefore, he
undoubtedly received his name ‘Lakhan Thapa Magar’ after his famous great-great
grandfather Saint Lakhan Thapa Magar – I. It also provides a proof that
Lakhan Thapa Magar –II was born either in Kahule Bhangar or in Manokamana area[5]. Like Rana Magars, Thapa Magars were
also very powerful Bhardars(Nobles in the King's
council) in Gorkha Kingdom. Kaji Biraj Thapa Magar had played an
important role in making Narbhupal Shah the king of Gorkha. He had secretly
offered a 3 month shelter to Queen Malikavati who was then pregnant with King
Narbhupal Shah. There were numerous other Thapa Magar Bhardars in
the Gorkha Kingdom. They had great respect for the Kings, Goddess Kalika of
Gorkha and Goddess Manokama of Southern Gorkha. Until 2008, Shah Kings
used to worship Goddess Kali of Gorkha, Goddess Manokama in Southern
Gorkha and Alam Devi of Lasargha, Syangja as their guardian deities.

Now, had ever Lakhan
Thapa Magar ‘set himself up as king’ actually as claimed by Pudma Jung Bahadur
Rana? No supporting documentation to this claim is available to this date. It
is also understandable that Thapa Magars of Gorkha had very close relationships
with Shah Kings in Gorkha Durbar. They should never have thought of
overthrowing Shah Kings and ‘set themselves up’ as kings. To me, Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana
appears to be blowing up the motive of Lakhan Thapa’s Gorkha Rebellion. His
description doesn’t fit into the cultural milieu of then Nepal.

Again, can
religious preacher become a rebel who would have publicly told that he wanted
to assassinate Jung Bahadur Rana and ‘set him up as king’ from quite a distance
in Gorkha?[6]. Had Nepalese people revered Jung Bahadur
Rana as much as the Shah Kings of Nepal? Should we believe what Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana
has said that the martyr had declared himself a king ? Should Lakhan Thapa have
declared himself a king there would have been a ‘royal palace’ also. Where was
it then ? Had the martyr built a palace and security forces also in Kahule
Bhangar ? But, the ruins I had seen through my own eyes of an old building,
which people tell was Martyr Lakhan Thapa’s palace(?) in Kahule Bhangar,
doesn’t speak so (Please read also a report published in Regmi Research Report 1980:75). I have also seen some broken stone slabs among the ruins of
the building that do not seem to be of a palace certainly. There now stands a
primary school dedicated in reverence to the martyr as: Lakhan Primary School[7]. The
author Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana’s description above sounds very much
unconvincing to me. The official accounts on the martyr's rebellion is distorted (Rose & Joshi 1966:43) Most historians of Nepal have cited Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana’s
description of Lakhan Thapa’s rebellion in their works. Therefore, it is no use
discussing what later day historians have written so far about the martyr.

The Martyr Lakhan Thapa had wanted to transform
the society through Josmani Sect, a religious movement which didn’t have any
difficult set of rules as in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism also.
And, a religious leader of ‘graceful manners and persuasive tone’[8]
could have organized people and politically challenged Jung Bahadur Rana, as
the people were suffering from the tyranny of the ruler.

Rebellion Falls Apart and Follows Capture of
Lakhan Thapa Magar:

Jung Bahadur Rana
seems to have been reported quite lately of the growing insurgency in Gorkha or
he should have paid no actual heed to it. This does not sound correct. It is
yes, he had to be worried about the insurgency. According to what Pudma Jung
Bahadur Rana has discussed the rebels had a plan to ‘fall upon the Maharaja’ in
other words, kill Jung Bahadur Rana and the people in Kathmandu would proclaim
Lakhan Thapa a king, does sound fictitious to some extent because when
someone was accused of subverting a government and then after becoming a
king, that would work as a tool for convincing people that the accused
stood punishable for such a treason.
Pudma Jung Rana further writes[9], Jung
Bahadur Rana had sent a few companies of Devi Dutta Regiment to crush the
rebellion and offers details how those rebels were treated later. It seems a
year or so earlier that Jung Bahadur Rana was ‘passing through the mountain
path at Deorali on his way back from princes hunting trip’ to Banbassa, west Nepal in February 1876[10]
and Lakhan Thapa had planned to mount an attack on the former at Deorali which lies across Daraudi river, west
of present day Manokamana temple in Gorkha district of Nepal and declare him
the king of the country. But, I am at a loss to understand why would have Jung
Bahadur Rana remained unknown of the Gorkhali Rebellion of such a magnitude led
by Lakahn Thapa Magar ? And why would, in
contrast, Pudma Jung Rana write Martyr Lakhan Thapa’s rebellion against Jung
Bahadur Rana had reached far and wide in the country ?

It was not just a
random mob or conspiracy from Gorkha against anyone. It looks the rebellion had
lasted more than a year already. Let’s now assume for few seconds
that Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana has written true story about the capture of Lakhan
Thapa Magar and his supporters. Should we believe Martyr Lakhan Thapa Magar and
other six of his supporters being transported in a bamboo cage to
Kathmandu to be indicted and later sometime sent to Manokamana Temple from Kathmandu to be hanged? How would
have a dangerous dictator like Jung Bahadur Rana, thought of transporting
rebels back and forth in a bamboo cage to hang in front of Manokamana Shrine
alleging that the goddess had inspired them to revolt, instead killing up his front
at once?
This all is enough to understand that Lakhan Thapa's rebellion, as described by
Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana, was not just a conspiracy against the head of the
government. It was a well-planned political movement very much fitting to that
time. And a person hanged for a political cause simply qualifies for becoming
a martyr of the country.

Why to Claim Lakhan Thapa the First
Martyr ?It does not
seem to me well justified and appropriate to label Lakhan Thapa Magar,
the ‘first martyr’ of Nepal and demand for him to be declared so as well. To be
recognized already a martyr by the concerned government is enough in all
respects. A martyr is always greatest among the greatest people. The Magar
Community of Nepal and around the world seems to be demanding a
governmental declaration for Lakhan Thapa Magar the first martyr of Nepal,
while some other people negatively think he does not qualify even for a martyr.
There is no question for him to be a martyr of the country. We should
thank Nepal Government for declaring him the martyr of the country. He
was hanged by a dictatorial regime for raising voice of the people. Those
who disqualify Lakhan Thapa Magar on the description of Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana flatly hold harmful partisan
view. The author Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana's description is in support of his
father Jung Bahadur Rana's order to hang Lakhan Thapa Magar to death. It is like
a cat standing witness of milk[11].

There are some
people out there who demand Birdhowj Basnyat, who was also put to death
in 1846 immediately after the Kot Massacre, to be declared the martyr of
the country. Likewise Bal Dev Shah ‘Bakabir’ was also hanged to death in 1850.
Karbir Khatri, Jaya Bahadur Kunwar, and Badri Narshing Kunwar were also put to
death on February 17, 1859 for having plotted to kill Jung Bahadur Rana.
These people had plotted to kill the head of the government who had just recently
taken over the rein of the government. Vengeance against anyone doesn’t
qualify a person for the martyrdom. These people had plotted to revenge.
So, these people’s conspiracy was not a political programme. That was not
a programme for the cause of the people in the country either. So, they can’t
be treated as martyrs.

People of Gorkha Recognized Lakhan Thapa Magar
Long Time Ago:

The fall of Rana
regime in 1950 brought about some changes in the country. Dashrath Chand,
Sukra Raj Shastri, Dharma Bhakta and Ganga Lal were officially declared martyrs of the country and are offered due respect until today. But Lakhan Thapa
Magar was not declared martyr of the country. The Nepal Magar Association led a
campaign demanding Lakhan Thapa Magar be declared martyr of the country. It took
long, for Nepal Government, to declare him, martyr of the country only recently
in 2000.

Some
people used to say until few years ago, "only in compelling circumstances should one go after Lakhan
Thapa, otherwise must be avoided"[12].
The avoidance unfortunately still persists in the country.But on the other hand local people
receive the martyr with great respect even today. Long before being declared
the martyr, in memory of Martyr Lakhan Thapa Magar the people of Kahule Bhangar,
Khabdi and Bungkot Village established a Higher Secondary School in Khabdi
Bhanjyang and named it Shaheed Smrity Higher Secondary School (शहीदस्मृतिउच्चमाध्यमिकविद्यालय)but the political situation did not allow them
to name the schoolShaheed
Lakhan Thapa Smrity Higher Secondary School (शहीदलखनथापास्मृतिउच्चमाध्यमिकविद्यालय). Likewise, the people of Kahule Bhangar were
also allowed to name a school: Lakhan Thapa Primary School only(लखनप्राथमिकविद्यालय)but
not, Martyr Lakhan Thapa Primary School(शहीदलखनप्राथमिकविद्यालय). It may be hoped the Government of Nepal will
allow local people change names of these schools in the name of Martyr Lakhan Thapa
Magar.

Inscription on a
Bell in front of Gorkha Kalika Temple:

It is said that after hanging Lakhan Thapa Magar to death Jung Bahadur Rana had sent some prize-money to some people
of Gorkha. The money was given to those people so that they could spend it and have
some fun and joyous moments, as they had helped ‘crush the people’s rebellion’.
But those saddened people of Gorkha instead, made a bronze bell in
memory of the martyr and offered it to Gorkha Kalika Temple on Magh Shudi 8
Sambat 1933 (श्रीसम्बत१९३३माघशुदी८रोज४मा
). The bell is still there in the temple complex. This is also suggestive of
Lakhan Thapa Magar’s popularity and extent of the rebellion.

Conclusion:Martyr Lakhan Thapa Magar is a source of inspiration to all to fight for a
greater cause. In those days, before a tyrant like Jung Bahadur Rana he stood
strong and resilient. Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana's description of the event
speaks so. Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana's description of Lakhan Thapa
declaring himself a king, copied by most of the historians of Nepal, is
unfounded, baseless and provoking. The Thapa Magars of Gorkha never stood
against Shah Kings of Nepal. The Thapa Magars of Gorkha have shed no
lesser blood than any other group of people in the making of modern
Nepal. In the same light, Lakhan Thapa's sacrifice and martyrdom needs to be
judged and recognized. The martyr can't be judged by today's definition of what
makes a martyr and what not? We have to see him through his own time when Nepal
had mostly illiterate society that would have believed in superstitions instead
of any modern day science. The author Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana's another
description of the Martyr Lakhan Thapa as "in the habit of
masquerading as a saint about the streets of Gorkha and extorting money from
the simple minded rustics who gave ordinance to his pretensions" is
also totally baseless and unacceptable. Lakhan Thapa Magar was a popular leader
of the people, he could not have done so. Likewise accusation hurled against
the martyr as "assuming that disguise merely for bread" is horribly
wrong because Martyr Lakhan Thapa belonged to the family of Saint Lakhan Thapa
- I, the advisor of King Ram Shah and priests of Manokamana Temple discussed
above or a well-to-do family of the Magars. There is a huge plot of land
consecrated to the deity and which is still cultivated only by her priests - the
Thapa Magars of Manokamana, Gorkha. The Thapa Magars of Gorkha held
highest political positions in the Gorkha Kingdom. So accusations like those
certainly make Pudma Jung Bahadur Rana's description, the only and
acclaimed authentic description, baseless and biased. This very author, Pudma
Jung Rana's description blocked Martyr Lakhan Thapa from being recognized as a
martyr of Nepal for a long time.
_______________________Annex: Family Tree of Martyr Lakhan Thapa :

Lakhan Thapa's Siblings:

Ram Thapa (older
brother) and;

Dhana Mala sister.

When the regime hanged Thapa to death, his
family fled Gorkha. His wife and children took refuge in Rumjatar, east Nepal
at some Limbu household for some time and then again to Darjeeling, India.

Thapa's wife and
Children : Both his wife and son's name is not known.

Martyr Thapas' Grandson: His
grandson was Karbir Thapa Magar who had a son: Hem
Dal Thapa and a daughter (name unknown). Hem Dal Thapa had a son Padam Bahadur Thapa and
daughter Shuva Kumari Thapa.

Padam Bahadur Thapa has two sons: Binod
Thapa Magar, Bidhan Thapa Magar and four daughters: Shakun
Thapa, Rukmini Thapa, Malati Thapa and Sudha
Thapa. They all live in Darjeeling today.

[9]“On
receiving news of this insurrection, the Maharaja at once dispatched a few
companies of Devi Dutta Regiment to put down thefanatic,
instructing them not to use force unless they were met with force. Happily the
rebels surrendered their arms after a brief resistance, and were soon caught
and sent over to Kathmandu in chains. The ringleader “Lakhan” and twelve of his
firmest supporters, whom he probably called his ‘apostles”, were brought in
bamboo cages, and rest on foot. Subsequent investigation brought light the
details of the whole plot. The purpose was to fall upon the Maharaja while he
was passing the mountain path at Deorali, on his way back from Prince’s hunting
trip. They were then to march to the capital, where Lakhan was to be proclaimed
king amidst the shouts of the whole population, and every opposition was to be
ruthlessly put down. Lakhan and six of his followers, who had taken an active
part in the conspiracy, were sentenced to death; the others whose offence was
merely that of passive participation were pardoned, and allowed to go back to
their homes. Lakhan was hanged on a tree in front of the shrine of the goddess
Manokama who, as he had alleged, had inspired him to the deed of blood.”

[10]REMEMBERING THE ROYAL HUNTS : In February 1876 A.D. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales,
(later King Edward VII), son of Queen Victoria came to hunt in Banbassa in west
Nepal hosted by Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana and bagged 23 tigers in a 2
week shooting spree. He had presided over the Delhi Durbar in celebration of
his mother Queen Victoria having been proclaimed the Empress of India on 1st
January 1876 A.D. It is written that he was so bored with the formalities of
state that coming to shoot in the Terai was the highlight of his India sojourn.
Jung Bahadur considered himself fortunate to be able to return the regal
hospitality showered on him by the British royal family 25 years earlier.

[11] As a saying goes: cat standing witness of the milk (दुधकोसाक्षीविरालोकोउखान
)

Just to let you know that I visited the site of Martyr Lakhan Thapa Magar Memorial Park in the first week of this month at Bungkot, Gorkha.

To me, a native who rebels against the rule of an outsider and is hung for it is a martyr for his land and people. As Jung Bahadur Rana claims descent from the house of Mewar, Rajasthan it would make him an outsider to the mountains so as to speak.